1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a board to board electrical connector, and more particularly to a board to board electrical connector for electrically and mechanically connecting an inserted first substrate to a second substrate on which the connector is mounted.
2. The Prior Art
A commonly used type of board to board electrical connector for use with a computer system is generally equipped with a pair of spaced towers to respectively retain two opposite lateral edges of a daughter board which is inserted into an elongated slot longitudinally defined on the connector for preventing the inserted daughter board from vacillating laterally. However, a number of conductive pads formed on the inserted daughter board are not capable of being accurately aligned with corresponding electrical contacts arranged in the slot of the electrical connector to establish a reliably electrical engagement because of the lack of multi-directional orientation means in the electrical connector. For example, due to the lack of the longitudinal orientation, an inserted daughter board with conductive pads may be move longitudinally in the slot and disengage with the corresponding electrical contacts of the connector when the daughter board is improperly inserted into the slot of the housing.
In addition, in the conventional connector, a pair of spaced and opposed vertical spring bars spaced apart from the towers are designed to retentively clamp the inserted daughter board therebetween. However, an unstable retention with regard to the inserted daughter board may result due to a high elasticity of the spring bars causing an undesired vibration.
Other type of conventional connectors further provide a releasable latching means located in the tower for cooperating with a corresponding notch defined on a lateral edge of the daughter board thereby preventing the movement of the daughter board along a direction opposite to the insertion of the daughter board to the elongated slot of the connector. However, since the retention of the latching means to the notch is generally exposed to an outside of the connector, the retention may be released by an undesired external force.
An object of the present invention is to provide a board to board electrical connector with a pair of spaced receiving sections adapted to efficiently and firmly retain an inserted daughter board within the connector in three-orthogonal directions thereby avoiding an electrical disengagement or a poor electrical engagement between the connector and the daughter board.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a board to board electrical connector with a pair of spaced receiving sections each divided by a partition into a first cavity and a second cavity wherein the first cavity is adapted to accommodate a rotatable actuator with a locking portion, and the second cavity is adapted to accommodate a corresponding notch defined on a lateral edge of the daughter board and retained therein by the locking portion thereby protecting the retention therebetween from an undesired external force.